


Voltron Headquarters Group Chat 💫

by HarringtonHun



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/M, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Group chat, I Wrote this Before Season 7-, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Langst, M/M, Meme Squad-Matt and Pidge and Lance, Mentions of Sadness and Depression, Multi, Pansexual Hunk (Voltron), Post Season 7, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Should I just avoid the Shiro love triangle?, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, friendship dynamics, group chat au, lance pov, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:24:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15831807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarringtonHun/pseuds/HarringtonHun
Summary: After a long day of hard work convincing his parents to download Galaxychat, he pulled an all-nighter the previous few hours ago past his usual bedtime. Marco was tucked in, Louis fast asleep, Veronica out earlier than usual, which left him being the only McClain in the household awake. A smirk tugged on the ends of his lips.~~~~~~~~~~Lance decides to create a Group Chat, and activates an amount of messages occupying his thoughts for the next couple of weeks.--Setting takes place six months after Sendak's attack. *Note: After watching Season 8, slight changes will be made to tweek the characters.





	1. Night 1

After a long day of hard work convincing his parents to download Galaxychat, he pulled an all-nighter the previous few hours ago past his usual bedtime. Marco was tucked in, Louis fast asleep, Veronica out earlier than usual, which left him being the only McClain in the household awake. A smirk tugged on the ends of his lips.

  
**9:52 P.M., Pacific Time, CA**

  
.BlueMagnet.14 changed his name to Baby Leo

Baby Leo’s intelligence stats. increased by 35 pts.! Beautiful work!

Baby Leo added {TakashiTake-Me-Out_}  
/  
Baby Leo added Pidgeon :)  
/  
Baby Leo added Magic Bun  
/  
Baby Leo added ☞LA Chef☞  
/  
Baby Leo added Keyeth

Baby Leo changed the Group Chat name to: Voltron Headquarters  
**Voltron Headquarters**

9:55 Baby Leo: Hey guys! This will be the group chat all of us will be using until further notice. We’ll have talks, discussions, group calls, meet-up arrangements…COUGH HUNK COMIC CON COUGH

Baby Leo:It took me all yesterday night to think about this whole outline, even more to find all of your names! Seriously, I didn’t expect Keith to actually-

 

9:55 Keyeth is typing…

 

9:55 Baby Leo: UH NEVER MIND! Feel free to change your names!

 

9:55 {TakashiTake-Me-Out} changed his name to Prideful Dad

 

9:55 Keyeth: you didn’t even have to ask

 

9:55 Pidgeon :) changed their name to BetterVelma. Their intelligence stats. increased by 10 pts. What a landing!

 

9:55 Magic Bun: Uh

 

9:56 Magic Bun changed her name to Bunny

 

9:56 BetterVelma: Don’t look at me, I’ve been watching Mystery Incorporated again.

 

Prideful Dad is typing…

 

9:57 Keyeth changed his name to BladeMaster 

 

9:57 Bunny: This app confuses me, why are this keyboard correcting my speeching-

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

9:58 Baby Leo: Nice names, I guess Hunk will keep his. Shoot, anyone know if he’s sleeping?

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

9:58 Baby Leo: Wait, no it’s Wednesday, I think he’s working again. Maybe he can’t have his phone on him. That boss scares me. So does anyone have something for the Group Chat name?

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

9:58 Baby Leo: Allura, oh my gosh your name! It’s great

 

9:59 BetterVelma: What time is it Lance?

 

9:59 Bunny: Can somebody kelp me?

 

9:59 BetterVelma: Autocorrect, you have picked a fateful day-

 

Prideful Dad is typing…

 

9:59 Prideful Dad: Allura I can help you! What kind of phone do you use?

 

Bunny is typing…

 

9:59 Prideful Dad: #?

 

9:59 Bunny: Uh, about that

 

Prideful Dad is typing…

 

10:00 BetterVelma: What’s wrong Allura?

 

10:00 Bunny: How do I put this? I’m using Coran’s cellular deceased

 

10:00 BetterVelma: HAHA

 

10:00 Prideful Dad: Oh dear.

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

10:01 Baby Leo: Wow, seriously?

 

☞LA Chef☞ is typing…

 

10:01 ☞LA Chef☞: I’m amazed he has one before you!

 

BetterVelma and Baby Leo are typing…

 

10:01 Baby Leo: Buddy!

 

10:02 BetterVelma: HUNK!

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

10:02 Bunny: I love your name Hunk

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

10:02 Prideful Dad: Guys this app is so confusing. That’s why it’s taking Keith so long to text.

 

Baby Leo changed Prideful Dad’s name to Takashi69

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

10:03 BetterVelma: LANCE I WAS GOING TO DO THAT.

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

10:04 Takashi69: Lance.

 

10:04 LA Chef: Wow guys, I haven’t gotten these many messages since my Mother’s wedding.

 

BetterVelma and LA Chef are typing…

 

10:05 BladeMaster: Better get used to this, _Takashi._

 

10:05 BetterVelma: I’m dying.

 

10:05 Takashi69: No me.

 

Bunny is typing…

 

10:06 Baby Leo: I’M FAST AS FUK BOII!

 

LA Chef is typing…

 

10:06 BetterVelma: Don’t even think about it, Hunk. You heard our conversation about…that. Now’s not the time.

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

10:07 Baby Leo: What’s happening? Pidge you’re more confusing now than your Buzzfeed: Unsolved addiction.

 

10:08 LA Chef: BUT MATT LOVES MEMES! How could we not? 

 

10:08 Baby Leo: M-YES PLEASE INVITE MATT!

 

10:08 BladeMaster: * _Spits our drink._ * Pidge, you watch-?!

 

10:09 Bunny: This isn’t working out for meme, how do I remove myself from the conversation temporarily? Coran is yelling at me to turn his “ringer” off.

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

10:09 Takashi69: The fact that “me” translated to “meme” scares me. (Coran’s used the word meme before?)

 

10:10 Baby Blue: Aw, Allura stay!! It’ll be crazy without you.

 

10:10 LA Chef: Allura same here. I only just recently got the app off the App Store. I think there’s gotta be a Do Not Disturb button somewhere.

 

10:11 Bunny: CORAN

 

BladeMaster, Takashi69, Baby Blue, and LA Chef are typing…

 

10:11 BladeMaster: Did Coran just smother Allura with a pillow?

 

10:11 BetterVelma: Good job, Lance. You killed Allura.

 

Bunny has left the conversation.

 

10:12 LA Chef: …

 

10:13 BladeMaster: That was awkward.

 

10:13 BetterVelma: Now I can spam the chat with memes. Don’t tell me otherwise, Shiro.

 

10:13 Takashi69: No. This hand’s going to break through that screen and smash it!

 

10:14 BetterVelma: bitch.

 

10:14 Baby Leo: OOH.

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

BetterVelma is uploading a picture...

 

  

BetterVelma is uploading a picture...

 

BetterVelma is uploading a picture...

10:16 LA Chef: Guys, I have to put my phone away. See ya’!

 

10:17 Takashi69: There goes your birthday present, Pidge. Anything else?

 

10:17 BetterVelma: My Hero Academia already took my virginity. Please.

 

Baby Blue is typing…

 

10:18 Baby Blue: W e e b .

 

10:18 Takashi69: Idc

 

10:19 BladeMaster: No. Matt won’t shut up about that show. It’s not even that good.

 

10:19 BetterVelma: Debatable.

 

10:20 Takashi69: You’ve spoken to Matt? It’s been a week since I’ve seen him.

 

10:20 BladeMaster: Not really, on here. We’ve just recently started talking and I overheard him with his friends saying something about that cartoon show.

 

BetterVelma and Baby Blue are typing…

 

10:20 Baby Leo: It’s called Anime, Keith.

 

Takashi69 is typing…

 

Bunny has joined the conversation! Look sharp!

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

10:21 BladeMaster: I don’t-

 

Takashi69, BladeMaster, Baby Blue and BetterVelma are typing…

 

10:22 Baby Leo: Allura! You’re back already!

 

Bunny is typing…

 

10:23 Bunny: MY BOY! So good to see you tonight on a rather mysterious platform, of all occasions! Wonder what you have all been up to?

 

10:23 Baby Blue: Allura?

 

Takashi69 is typing…

 

10:23 BetterVelma: Who are you, and what have you done with Allura?

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

10:24 Takashi69: Guys chill out. It’s Coran, I’m pretty sure.

 

10:24 Baby Leo: Coran!!

 

BetterVelma is typing…

 

10:25 Baby Leo: What’s up mustache?

 

10:25 BladeMaster: It’s pretty late, Coran...

 

10:26 Bunny: Ah, well-

 

10:27 BetterVelma: I have to ask you something very important. It’s only for YOU. Now, take a very good look at this next line.

(Here Pidge copies and pastes this message in "Comic Sans". I think you know where this is headed.)

10:27 BetterVelma: What font am I using?

 

Bunny is typing…

 

Takashi69, Baby Leo, Bunny, and BladeMaster are typing…

 

10:28 Baby Leo: No

 

Bunny is typing…

 

10:28 BladeMaster: no

 

10:28 Takashi69: No

 

10:29 Baby Leo: Coran don’t fall for it! You’re smarter than Pidge!

 

10:30 Bunny: Pardon me? Did you request what font?

 

10:30 Bunny: Comic Sans, you mean?

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

10:30 BetterVelma: HAHAHAHA!

 

10:31 BetterVelma: Well, that’s all I needed to hear. Thanks Coran! For all of your help guys I really appreciate it. Goodnight fags 

 

Bunny is typing…

 

10:32 Takashi69: This behavior…ugh. I don’t have children for this particular reason.

 

10:32 LA Chef: What did I just walk into?

 

BladeMaster is typing...

 

10:33 BladeMaster: I think Adam’s _dick_ says otherwise.

 

Takashi69 is typing…

 

Blademaster is typing…

 

10:34 Baby Leo: Uh? Adam?

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

Several people are typing…

 

10:34 Takashi69: My office now.

 

10:35 LA Chef: Beg my pardon, but, is there an issue between the two of you?

 

BladeMaster and Takashi69 are typing…

 

10:35 LA Chef: Or is it just one of your confusing sibling jokes?

 

/

 

11:07 Baby Leo: Guys, it’s like, super late. Tomorrow’s the Garrison and wehjcnwjnc.

 

11:08 Takashi69: Yeah, for you.

 

11:08 LA Chef: Really Takashi? You moved up and so forth don’t have to deal with Mr. Iverson’s long speeches for the day.

 

11:09 Takashi69: Hunk you get to cook!

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

11:10 LA Chef: What can I say? They don't call me LA Chef for nothing...

 

11:11 Baby Leo: I’m guessing Coran bailed…he’s got a long day ahead of him.

 

11:11 Takashi69: I swear to gosh, Keith. That phone better be put away by the time I walk down the hall.

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

11:12 Takashi69: Better lower your brightness. If I see a light at all there will be consequences.

 

11:13 LA Chef: Yeesh

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

BladeMaster has liked “LA Chef’s: Yeesh”. 15 pts. for them!

 

11:14 Baby Leo: What?!

11:14 Baby Leo: It’s literally taken me five hours to bring my points up!

 

BladeMaster: Points?

 

11:15 LA Chef: Woah boy, I don’t want to get into that. And wait, who gets the points…

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

11:16 BladeMaster: Bye Shiro.

 

11:17 LA Chef: Guys? I might be signing off for tonight. I don’t want to stay up any longer than you guys should. Make sure the rest of you get some sleep, and not just a couple of hours okay…?

 

Baby Leo is typing…

 

11:17 BladeMaster: That’s sweet of you Hunk, so sweet. I don’t have a sleeping schedule.

 

11:18 LA Chef: Okay guys, goodnightt!

 

LA Chef has signed off.

 

11:29 Baby Leo: Night. Ahh, it’s so late, and my heart is racing from all the action within the group chat. Seriously I didn’t think it would be this good! Someone needs to check on Allura, especially…

11:30 Baby Leo: Holy quiznack!? 11:30 already?

 

11:31 Baby Leo: I’m so tired but I don’t want to rest my head yet…

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

/

 

11:42 Baby Leo: So~

 

BladeMaster is typing…

 

11:42 BladeMaster: No.

 

BladeMaster has left the conversation.

 

Lance let out a short laugh breathed into a sigh. It was 11:42! Never in his life up until two days ago did he imagine the six of them having stupid conversations over their iPhones back in comfortable beds. Money bet on Pidge still being up wasn’t an argument. As for the brothers he assumed neither of them fell asleep. However all of that dazed into colors of mist as his head settled into the sheet of the pillow, and the phone slipped out of his hold. Lance McClain was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> f adam dies.  
> There's tension between the brogans after all.


	2. Day 1, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance wakes up, and realizes he stayed up all night texting his friends wanting him at the Galaxy Garrison pronto.  
> ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOw-that took me longer than expected! Hap-happy holidays guys! It's been quite a while I know. In fact I started working on my second chapter the moment I finished the first one! Which is why I left it alone and did not end it originally as long as it was going to be. I know how the next chapter begins and ends though~we'll just have to see if I live up to my hype.  
> A cute Korean boy may or may not be in the next chapter, who knows.  
> For all of those waiting for our beloved Keith, Shiro, and Allura do not start typing in the comments yet! They're on their way in the next chapter, and I will throw in some side-characters from Season 7 and 8. Writing them will be fun. 
> 
> //Holy crap I'm on Episode 11 and I can already hear my heart breaking. I need to re-write many, many plot-points, some of which I have already incorporated in the first and second chapter. That's okay though, I still have 8 more. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, enjoy Chapter 2!

**6:13 A.M., Pacific Time, CA**

Baby Leo

_Lance_

BladeMaster

_Keith_

BetterVelma

_Pidge_

Bunny

_Allura/Coran_

LA Chef

_Hunk_

Takashi69

_Shiro_

(Small Disclaimer: Pidge, if you haven’t known already, didn’t call themselves a girl last chapter. I was planning on keeping Pidge’s gender non-binary, or they/them for the sixteen or so chapters. Usually I write her as a they/them identity. For my sake though, sjjjdkm I’m lazy, I’ll make their pronouns bounce back and forth from girl to them, to maybe even guy. She’ll be inter gender for this starting now. If you point out any differences in my sentences, that’s just Pidge choosing a subject to be called. Thank you for reading!)

 

On behalf of this morning’s alarm, Pidge Gunderson woke up out of bed, to see the time on her phone’s welcome screen. The blankets on her bedsheet were left untidied as it was again the morning coffee fix. Pouring in a couple of teaspoons of sugar, she yawned before flipping her phone into her glasses’s vision. Ahead of her were long strides of unread texts. Pidge rose her hand to have the coffee cup meet her small mouth; walking back to her bed to sit there.

**Voltron Headquarters**

6:14 BetterVelma: Anyone up?

BetterVelma is uploading a picture…

[insert picture of Pidge sipping on her coffee, and looking fresh for the day.]

LA Chef is typing….

6:15 LA Chef: I’m here!

LA Chef is uploading a picture…

[insert selfie of Hunk pouring himself a glass of caffeine, smiling at the camera.]

6:16 BetterVelma: Hey Hunk!

6:16 LA Chef: Weird, I only thought of this just now. Anyone think our friend Romelle bought an equipped iPhone for herself? It’s unusual of her not to be here…

BetterVelma is typing…

6:16 Bunny: Good morning children! I’ve only woken up ten do-bashes ago! It looks like Allura is still resting…

LA Chef is typing…

6:16 BetterVelma: Coran, you’re suppose to be down there in eight minutes!

BetterVelma is typing…

6:16 BetterVelma: Also, we say minutes here on Earth.

6:17 Bunny: QUIZNACK!

BetterVelma is typing…

6:17 BetterVelma: Oh, yeah, but speaking of Romelle. I haven’t even seen her all that much?

6:17 BetterVelma: I’d guess if Allura got her hands on one, the blonde girl would be eager to evaluate the gadget right away.

6:19 LA Chef: Darn, okay then. We’ll just have to wait and find out. I’ll have to ask Allura later.

LA Chef is typing…

6:20 LA Chef: Hey, you there? Pidge?

//

 _Yawwn._ Lance kept on hearing “bings” to the sound of his fragile eardrums. Light from his eyelashes winked in and out, but there was a moment the glow beamed, zooming to capture the second he’d gain consciousness. It suddenly dawned on him all two of his legs were spread out, and the width of his arm-span almost reached the edges of his soft bed. “Wh-Woah!” He screamed briefly, knocking himself out again landing on his face. Next to him, his fingers felt the fibers of thin carpet. Mierd-! He’d woken up gracelessly for the day after he’d stayed up on the group chat.

Scratching his hurt stomache, Lance slightly brought up his phone. Eyes met a bright lock screen. Punching in letters, he…

//

6:22 Baby Leo: Hey guys! It’s Day 1 of back to the Garrison!

LA Chef is typing…

BetterVelma is typing…

6:23 Baby Leo: Oh, you guys are typing a lot.

6:23 LA Chef: Heyo Lance

// Lance’s fingers twinged with sparks going off in his two hands. //

6:23 Baby Leo: Ha, Coran. Where’s everyone else?

BetterVelma is typing…

6:24 BetterVelma: I’m about to run down the hallway with some bread in my mouth, like that one girl from that Anime. YEET!

6:24 BetterVelma: Hunk, Lance, meet me at the vending machine. I need to talk to you guys.

LA Chef and Baby Leo are typing…

LA Chef is typing…

6:26 Baby Leo: LOL!

6:27 Baby Leo: Ohokay, guess I’ll need to start getting ready. Hunk?

6:27 LA Chef: Oh?

6:27 Baby Leo: Um, I’ll drive down there soon.

6:28 LA Chef: This must be important. I’ll be right there…

//

Lance breathed out, in sync with pressing the off button on his mechanism. It took him a full minute to restore power in his back. Realism hit him hard at the moment he woke up, looking around his room. He hadn’t even showered yet, and it was his first day. Starting today, he’d travel the halls of a Space Program he and his friends were familiar with. Hunk, Pidge, Keith, Allura, Shiro and Coran were already there…though Shiro bought an apartment for him and his younger brother south of the premise. Even though it had only been six months, much changed and stayed the same.

Time sped by, before knowing he’d gotten up, another text alerted his eyes to get out of the door! He busted his back up, hearing a crick in his spine, going forward to shove the remaining boxes out of the door. Perhaps shower time would have to wait…Hunk and Pidge were at the Garrison already after all. He’d already prepared another memoir for his remaining family members that was left in the household for the morning. He said goodbye to Mama, Papa, Benji and the rest of his brothers…before taking in one last look of his family home and putting the keys into ignition.

//

Pidge leaned on the wall, sipping their yellow cup of Orange Juice taken from the vending machine. The short cadet had been waiting fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds behind a corner where the power-cord for the dispenser remained a bright blue. Two new pairs of eyes belonging to a brunette and short-haired dude choked on their breakfast walking by, only to appear as if they had been coughing and striked a running position after they had spotted what lurked behind the corner. They’re also sure a squeak coming from a mouse broke the radio silence of the morning, the first few minutes went by.

Pidge disapprovingly glanced at their wrist-watch.

Not even a second later, a tall, broad-shouldered man huffed down the hallway with a bright smile on his face. The time couldn’t have been more inconveniently conveinant their friend was about to lose all patience in their friends. They’d hoped, behind what came running ahead of them, was none other than the missing brown-haired boy. He seemed to be M.I.A. alongside countless other Voltron members, including the new teenagers they had worked with in the Final Battle.

Before Hunk could pity himself over the valuable time wasted over standing alone, Pidge cut his thoughts off with a simple shift in their stance. By the looks of it, both already knew what was about to be said. “Whenever I ask to go somewhere again, please remind me to never invite one of you again.” They whipped off of their tongue.

With a grunt, Hunk made it over to where he was suppose to be sixteen minutes ago, his legs fumbling a little over the stretch it took to meet Pidge’s eyes. In the tight space it was cramped for the both of them, especially when Hunk loomed over twice the size of the other. He backed up. “I’m sorry for being late, it totally slipped my mind that I had breakfast duty today! I was cleaning and I got an all clear from Chef Sal that I could go!” Hunk let his voice die down a little bit. “I’m really sorry, Pidge…”

Pidge looked up, just a little disgruntled. “That’s okay, just, next time, be early so you can be the first to try the Orange Juice.” They smiled, with their casual upbeat tone chipping away at the tail-end of the conversation. In their right hand was the box of kid’s drink. Hunk looked their way, and smirked back, almost hiding back a playful judgement. Then, the two of them remembered not everyone was present.

Hunk was the first to have his eyes wide open, and then Gunderson second to mimic another delayed reaction. Three new notifications showed on someone’s phone screen in bright white letters. All three read from Lance, but neither had the audacity to respond if he was already here.

“Where’s Lance?” Hunk questioned, his thumbs beginning to intertwine under the light of the Garrison lamp. His nervous behavior brought out a slight worried pitch in his voice, a bit higher than Pidge’s.

“I’m not sure on that part, because I thought he was with you?” Pidge quizzically pointed at Hunk. Their eyebrow’s sharp gaze sent Hunk searching for a late answer. “Well, uh, I…”

“Guys!”

A distant, excited voice sprung from the entrance of the cafeteria embellishment. The two looked up, surprise halting at the top of their skin's crevices, within a second it was easy to tell the human standing in front of them. First to notice about the specimen was how bubbly his persona stood out from the rest in the room, a shining example of any happy individual in the Garrison. His hair looked soft and spiky, a little brown chestnut tease to it. You could pat it down and nothing would fetter the top. Below that, a small trim over the forehead revealed two eyes emitting light into your soul. His blue pupils downed the colors of the freckles underneath his eyelids, speckled across from the right cheek, over the bridge of his nose, onto his left. Hands tucked into the corners of his pockets, and his standing position signaled a casual vibe. Behind him were two suitcases, one of which stood taller than the other, a fine black. Addressing his new uniform, it popped out as a symbol of the blue paladin, the Blue Lion's owner. Its mellow welcomeness brought out a calming to the eyes.

Lance looked distressed in the wake of the moment. His head turned one way to the right, then left, and back, struggling to the front of his attention. A smile guided his lips up into a reassured mold. His arms tugged on his suitcases's handles. "When you guys said to meet you behind the vending machine, I thought you meant the one in the check-in office!" He lifted his shoulders in a tempt laugh. "I just got here! I've been carrying these luggage bags for ten minutes now. I'm on my way to find my room, these hallways are so confusing though..." He trails off, leaving it up to them to fill the talk. Pidge looked about ready to scurry over.

"Lance! You're here!" Pidge stood up, abandoning her slouched position. The orange juice left her side. Next to their side, the dark-skinned man dilated their eyes once or twice to adjust the image of what he was looking at. The tan skin gave it away. "Lance,!" Hunk huffed. "I'm so glad you're back!" He looked about ready to run up and give him a squeeze, but Lance was already on it, colliding into them to embrace them in a huge hug. Texting with them was fun, but not nearly as exciting seeing his friends face to face.

Pidge ducked out of the way just in time, dodging what was predicted to be a great force on the left side of the hug. Out of nowhere Lance’s elbow locked onto Pidge’s neck in a matter of a second, without sparing a minute to let them breathe. Pidge was not one for affection. Hunk did not need to relish the strife his friend endured, hugging after all was one of his trademark qualities. Lance hummed in triumph of his victory.

Hunk and Pidge slumped out from under his arms. “Oh, it’s good to see you man.” The man to his right continued. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it to initiation day…” Lance looked up, Hunk was scratching the end of his neck, up to the base of his baby hairs, the more Lance looked. It was then Pidge spoke up.

They fixed the rim of the circled glasses. A hand came up to slowly cover an oncoming cough. “Good thing too, I was just about to leave you guys…” It was obvious the little gremlin did not mean it the way they stated it. It was not also entirely 100% true she meant to stick around any longer than she had to.

Guessing it was time to move already the three of them turned away from their previous circle and headed to the behind of the black food machine, taking off from Pidge as she started walking a few steps back. To Hunk the shift in the way she walked made his head tilt, to an uneasy extent. She turned around to face them once both of their eyes were looking to her. Her head glossed up.

“So, what are we here for?” Lance brought up in a quirky, questioning manner. It couldn’t be helped his hand to the side raised up from the lower half of his knees amplified his voice. The smile on his face dipped as soon as Pidge let the question seep into her ears. Hearing that changed the scenario for them completely.

Hunk was listening. “Do you guys…” You could hear an undermined whisper, “…ever think about what happened?” Pidge said, looking on ahead in front of her, where the gap between the two men deepened in thought. Both of the boys raised their attentiveness now, at first a series of rapid blinks on Hunk’s face, and then some with Lance. He was the first to make sure this was Katie, Pidge talking here. He must have misheard.

“W-what?” Lance asked.

“I’m talking about the battle Lance, the one where Sendak almost wiped out half of the world’s population and took control of our planet. My question is, what happened two years before we arrived into Earth’s galaxy? We know the basics of what we’ve been told so far. When Shiro and Admiral Iverson awarded us the medals at the public ceremony, it was unclear to me then on what our positions were as cadets, since a good amount of us were sent home or allowed to stay here with our families.” They turned to cross one shoulder over the other. “All these old faces like Nyma, Slav, and Shay, it’s weird to exchange formalities after all this time of helping them out only to see them live here as legal immigrants. The Garrison complex has grown half the size of what it was a year ago, not to mention all the staff. We’re housing scientists to experiment on living extraterrestrial beings. Allura and Coran are barely seen around the main floor anymore, how am I suppose to be able to believe a conspiracy isn’t underway? Everything’s changing around here faster than I can process, it’s at such a rate I can’t even tell if this is Earth anymore.” The last line came off as more of a whisper than anything, with Pidge averting their eyes away to expose a sad expression never seen in this light. The backlash was presumed, already telling by her friend’s shocked faces.

Lance gulped, it felt like all of his realities of where he’d be having silly adventures with his friends were blown out into space, completely overparalelled by reality. In a sense it felt his family shielded him away from all world problems, their son turned off his phone for a while to spend lost time with his parents and siblings, up until last night. Hunk stood still. While Lance was internally lost in thought, he fully surmised now why Pidge acted quiet on their phone earlier. It made too much sense ever since this morning.

“Well, while it is true a lot has been changing around us, and, not every bit of information put out, today is the first day of squaring it all away. It’s been hard the first couple of weeks for me, believe me, I found worse stuff than space goo in the kitchen sometimes!” The Samoan added a laugh somehow into his response. It lightened the next set of lines as they fell out of Hunk’s mouth. “We’ve been used to just ourselves for the past couple of months, from here on out we’ll have more support starting soon, too. According to Admiral Iverson’s report Allura, Shiro, Coran, Keith…” Something the way Pidge’s hand cut him off told him to stop the good talk.

They shook their head, even with a grateful smile plastered on their face after all the time of hearing Hunk’s displays of encouraging speeches. “No, that’s not what I mean,” One of their eyes peeked out from behind where they banded together their arms over their head. “…just, you realize nothing’s going to be the same again. Or what it used to be, before we brought the fight to home. Yeah?” It was a serious comment to think over, even if what was said sounded rhetorical. Images of the battle cruisers hovering over one of the continents, blocking out the sun flew around in Lance’s mind. Hunk couldn’t help but think about the endless months his family and siblings stayed in those Galran camps. All of what Pidge said held so much meaning in the valuable time they spent together.

Pidge stood a little taller now, narrowing her eyes forward again to level her stare with the words about to come out of her mouth. “And, there’s something else.” They looked above, to make sure she was getting the right amount of eyes kept on her. “I know we’re home. Up until now life has been peaceful for most of us. If anyone remembers correctly, there was an Altean alien inside of the mechanical pod left in the basement of the facility. We were told the last six months the girl was all right, and she has still been in a coma resting ever since. I don’t know if it’s me, but something about this situation seems…sketchy. There’s this thought in the back of my head telling me our jobs aren’t over yet.”

Lance stared head on. Hunk grunted, not really sure how to approve in other motions but one. Time ceased to move at a quick pace, or slow at all for that matter, the early morning talk stuck in its own wormhole. No one came close to entering the room, they were the only ones inviting themselves in for a private meeting. The world slowed for them, once again waiting for a decision to come to a consensus relying on their answers. For Lance, he had no clear answer.

Thoughts picked up momentum again. He began piecing together the little bits at first, and worded out in his head what Pidge meant as she said, “our jobs aren’t over yet”. His eyes squinted at the floor below him, as if he was inspecting it while picking carefully through his thoughts. From what he knew, Pidge and Hunk were staying here for the time being. Allura and Coran volunteered to help and in exchange call this their new home, until activity inside the walls settled down. As for Shiro and Keith, those two kept each other company a couple of miles away inward of the city inside an apartment on their own. Out of the five, Lance suspected Pidge observed their surroundings well within their confines. If what they said about not feeling right turned out true, he believed Pidge left out a few important details, that could later turn into threats. Like they had brought up before, and the question raised many followups, where was their blonde Altean friend…? Not that he had been here for a while, but the two had a good chance of bumping into each other. His stare deepened. With the disappearance of another Altean, the subject of wherever Allura and Coran were at this very moment dug deep into Lance’s skin. It began to stiffen. How come this was happening now…? What would this mean for the team, when him, Hunk and Pidge would tell the others? And why did this all seem to loop back to one problem? That stare in the far corner of his mind formed a cunning smile, the purple skin bringing them back to unhappy memories. The thought made him shiver. Hearing all of this straight from one of his good friends made him jump right back into the adrenalin-sickening feeling.

 

A muffled sound reverberated above all three of their heads. Not one of them froze before pairs of eyes tried to track the source of the sound, it confused them. About two seconds later a solid voice spoke into the microphone. “Attention; all pilots, paladins of Voltron report to the break room, immediately.” Ended the note, coming from what was known as the hallway’s monitor. Being the only ones in there, the announcement was less embarrassing, but increasingly odd to hear it alone out of the hundred or so workers grabbing food yards away from the Cafeteria. They all turned their heads back around to face each other, taking in one last glance before heading off into winding hallways that would lead them into their first meeting. Hunk looked as if he wanted to mention something to Pidge, but raised the chance of being shut down and moved on. Ahead of them they started walking. Lance sharply turned around, and let a sigh dig his hands further into the holes of his new uniform pockets. He had questions, lots of them, and wasn’t sure if a conference beheld all the answers he searched for in all the deepest, darkest locked closets in his mind. One thing was for sure though, and Lance bet his life of them. Pretty soon he would be greeted by familiar faces, a pink-streaked scar lined across the bridge of a perfectly shaped nose, one mullet-head, and pink Altean markings, Voltron, all of which made him smile dumbly behind the collar of his uniform.


	3. -Intermission-(Shiro P.O.V.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same morning Shiro attends the meeting, he finds himself early and utilizes the time to converse with Keith via text, that is until an unfamiliar new face walks in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aghhahhha I'm so sorry guys for not updating in the past two weeks. I need to make an upload deadline for me in the coming months. I started writing the third chapter, originally I was going to make this part of it-but thought twice over it and split this into its own interlude. In other words, it's filler starring Shiro and mystery boy. ;0
> 
> It would be wise to read this, not that it follows the main narration of Lance, it's more side-plot of Shiro and the other characters. (How they wake themselves up in the morning and meet at different intervals at their own leisure. Hah yeah Shiro was on time, everyone was either late or preoccupied with other matters.) You'll find it helpful in the next chapter. Which WILL be  
> text-based!
> 
> Please enjoy this! It's more writing bulk than spare group chat threads. Bare with me as I conclude a conflict to tie it all together. 
> 
>  
> 
> DISCLAIMER: If you heavily ship Shadam or Adashi, know that I wrote the first chapter in August and was only aware of his death then. I was going to write an Adashi fanfiction, but as it turns out a new player entered the game and Curtis ended up marrying big dad. I apologize. This is going to probably be endgame Curtis x Shiro. Another opinion of mine, not a big part of my choice, but somewhat had to do with their relationship as is. Their engagement in their screen time looked unstable. Shiro went missing, left to space for two years and Adam died? I support Adashi no mistaking it I just can't deal with all of Shiro's lovers. In Voltron Headquarters I was also going to add a development of one-sided feelings for Shiro on Matt's end, which I'm still continuing. Don't feel disheartened by this. Matt will realize he has Nyma and move on, but hold onto those lingering feelings for him. Maybe one chapter will be about him. Know that I'm finalizing Curtis and Shiro. I'm in charge of fixing characters and their struggles, here you will read the healing the show deserves mixed with slight angst. Thank you. 
> 
> Sorry if you read all that. xo

**7:47 A.M., Pacific Time, CA**

 

 

Baby Bro

_Keith_

Takashi_Take_Me_Out

_Shiro_

 

_Shiro P.OV._

 

Shiro happened to be the first to stand by himself in the breaker room, with the cooling vent as his only companion. Even Iverson had to be on break eating a donut relenting his own matters somewhere other than here. He sighed, letting his shoulders droop to the usual length apart from his neck. Considering the guy had been milling around all day, not filing for a stop, it would be understandable to see why he wanted to meet those daily requirements of seeing his friends. It had been difficult to find Allura and Coran for the past two days, and those two children busying themselves with work of their own. His eyes lit up, and he found it strange he had not thought of texting anyone since this morning. Breathing in an inhale, he…

 

//

 

**{Takashi_Take_Me_Out} > Baby Bro**

 

 

{Takashi_Take_Me_Out} is online.

 

{Takashi_Take_Me_Out} is typing…

 

7:47 {Takashi_Take_Me_Out}: Keith, are you on your way?

 

Baby Bro is typing…

 

7:48 Baby Bro: yeah i’m walking down the hall now. Who’s there?

 

7:48 {Takashi_Take_Me_Out}: I’m the only one here. It seems empty for the most part.

 

7:48 {Takashi_Take_Me_Out}: Allura and Coran are nowhere to be seen. Still no word from Pidge or Hunk. I don’t see anyone coming.

 

7:49 Baby Bro: Good.

 

{Takashi_Take_Me_Out} is typing…

 

7:49 {Takashi_Take_Me_Out}: Where have you been all morning?

 

7:49 Baby Bro: Oh, I ran into Matt earlier and he looked pretty shaken up. I tried to calm him down and sort of offered to stay with him a little bit in his room before he had to go see Nyma and Olia. We devolved into a debate over which Pringle flavor was the best, and I kind of just…left.

 

7:50 {Takashi_Take_Me_Out}: That explains it. And it’s Classic Pringles, the flavor.

 

Baby Bro changed {Takisha_Take_Me_Out}’s name to Takashi69.

 

Baby Bro is typing…

 

7:50 Baby Bro: _heh_ , Takashi69.

 

7:50 Takashi69: You too? Are you becoming familiar with the username Lance and Pidge originally labeled me in the Group Chat?

 

7:50 Baby Bro: _It’s starting to stick._

 

Baby Bro is typing…

 

//

 

Shiro half-laughed inward to himself, when all of a sudden, a door to the entrance shut just in front of his face. He looked up from his illuminating phone screen, the light from it showing the reflection in his wide eyes. Not two feet away shuffled two pairs of long legs, shifting up to a man’s torso to a soft, edged outline of a curious, clueless young face with blue eyes. If Shiro didn’t know any better, he would guess this guy belonged as a cadet, with the physique of that body, but on second thought rearranged his conjectures into what looked like to be a ranking officer’s outfit, from the looks of it. He got the impression he had seen him before.

 

The door closed behind the guy’s hands, his face and eyes carefully mistaking their presumption he would be the only one here. They didn’t know how to break away from Shiro’s face. Back to the other man, who was staring blankly on, lowered his eyebrows slowly while moving his arm into the backside pocket. The two detached themselves from the real world and focused their eyes on each other’s presences. Someone had to explain the elephant in the room.

 

Shiro cleared his voice. “What are you doing here?” It was more of a demanded answer, one of which sounded half-serious and half-entertained, the lift of the curved eyebrow told all.

 

Staring back at him the man took in the sight, then gulped down on the rising air in the back of his throat. He stood taller, and broke away from the wooden frame’s comfort. “Hi. I-I was sent here by Commander Iverson to assist in accompanying the MFE pilots and Voltron members in the meeting. I’m one of the officers aboard the Atlas, I was made just recently after I was recognized among the other five crew and put in place to also pilot the Atlas. There is a meeting, right?” He looked around, flittering his pretty (as Shiro lacked better word) eyes across the room, as if they were darts. Shiro’s eyes skipped up to the guy’s when he reminisced it looked obvious he was staring at the other man too much.

 

“Yes.” Shiro stepped back. He didn’t take his attention away. “Your face looks familiar, I must have seen you walk down the hallway a few times. My name is Takashi Shirogane, Shiro for short.” His eyes closed and opened waiting for his response to get across. “What did you say your name was?”

A hand was now outstretched between them. For a moment, blue eyes locked down at the pale hand, and then one hand fell into a shake initiated by Shiro. “I’m Curtis. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

 

A wave of formality graced his face, almost twanged at the way his heart felt the more Shiro looked into his eyes. Aside from Iverson and the rest of the adults, no one greeted him with the same level of authority in the facility, let alone called him “sir”. It was a newfound specialty he came to terms with in the minute he had met this new officer. He looked up, trying not to let the fondness slip out of his eyes.

 

The two of them stayed like that. “My pleasure.” His tone ended the sequence of introductory words at a forefront, hinting further discussion over time to kill. None of them could tell, but when breaking away from the gesture, their chests felt lighter than they had before the man walked into the room, and Shiro’s lips had a content quirk to them.

 

Just as Curtis was about to open his mouth, he turned around to see a man of proportional built turn over the door handle and bust into the room, with something in his right hand. The other hand was preoccupied stuffing the man’s face, what appeared to be a Strawberry frosted donut sticking out from his mouth. Shiro was bewildered. “Good morning. Ladies, gentlemen.” He eyed the shoulder of the man closest to him, making the word “gentleman” fixated on Curtis, the added “ladies” left to be interpreted by none other than the Captain. Frosting still hung on the bottom on the Commander’s lower lip.

 

“Iverson, glad you could join us today.” Shiro offered with a blunt edge to it, his eyes following the Commander’s careless moves. Unconsciousley he gripped the muscle of his stiff shoulders, and dug his hands in deeper into a tighter cross. Right then a comment was supposed to be made, on how their Commander could not have shown up on better conditions, but he knew the answer would be an overexaggerrated example of how he got lost; the door opened once more, and Curtis certainly had a nag for stepping away from incoming objects.

 

Four voices filled the room the second the click to the door unlocked. Amateurs of smaller sizes naked to the eye progressed their way into the corridor, each leaving their eyes on one or the other in the friend group. It was hard to tell what topic kept the younger, shorter girl passionate at such an amplified tone. She shook out her hands, and brassed the importance of one word as if she were declaring a speech. James just laughed and payed no mind to the man of the hour.

 

“Sorry we were late.” The older one, nicknamed Kinkade, apologized in an attempt to somehow make their tardiness salvageable in line for the other three fighter pilots. None of them seemed to hear. Curtis, standing feet away from the door, felt near trapped and quietly made a break for it where Iverson planted himself in a chair, and twidled his thumbs next to Shiro. His head was bent down, eyes open, taking in the new environment and atmosphere he would soon be working with. Takashi made it appear as if he was not looking at his neighbor, very unsuccessfully, but he guessed Curtis’s senses were clouded with judgement.

 

Ina Leifsdottir moved her hand up to the forehead of her skull, and mimicked a sigh. Her eyes showed disapproval, everything in her body screaming “release me”. “I calculated our arrival be three minutes prior; we ran into a squadrun of rebels and Nadia insisted on staying. Our efforts were defeated.” She all but frowned, trying to sympathize with her own synopsis of the delay. Ryan saw her begging to sulk and let his stance droop backwards copying her.

 

Nadia flicked her glasses again. “Okay, okay! This is the last time.” She left open-ended. “If I were in charge of picking chip flavors in this world, and you all agree with me when I say this, the go-to type would always be Jalapeño! Something spicy and hot wins above any average, plain flavor.” She huffed, and her arms emphasized the seriousness to the gleam in her eyes.

 

“You see, that’s where you cadets are wrong…” The Commander had his legs sprawled out, leaning back into his chair. His coated finger was in the process of being licked and tiny bits of flakes fell into his short beard. “I have to say as your ranking Commander Buffalo Ranch is in high demand here in my quarters.”

 

Iverson was finished eating. His visible eye panned over to Shiro’s shoulder. He tensed up. “Captain Shirogane, where is the rest of our team? I’d expect these four to be late, but that does not excuse the overall lack of body in this room!” He leveled at first, which quieted the room, but Iverson realized his mistake and held back further tongue.

 

All eyes were on him. “The announcement was already made, I’m sure the crew and paladins will get here shortly.” Shiro obliged, his eyes not taking away from the man’s holding look. The answer was left in the air, and while it made its way over to Iverson, the door broke open. Nadia silenced herself without Ina sharpening another glimpse, and Curtis and Shiro shifted their bodies to match a parallel stance. Attention was now at the approaching newcomers and somehow Iverson’s question got answered.

 

“We’re here.” She, the mother of the crowd, sounded at the bay of the group and they made their way forward. Iverson looked a little startled to see two Alteans stand at the front of the sized lot of Voltron members. Allura’s earrings swung to and fro at an immediate stop, beside Shiro, he was grateful and slightly worried about the way she stood on, without looking at her dear friend. Nonetheless her appearance made him feel welcomed. “Princess! You’re back.” He diverted his eyes back, the blue-haired alien half a foot and half below him, not seeing her for a few days really made her features stand out. She smiled, gratitude showing in the back of her eyes, but made no comment and pressed for silence among the loud kids. Her stare was set straight through Shiro’s body.

 

Coran, Keith, and the rest of the unattended adults like Sam and Veronica made their way into the chaos known as the break room. Hunk, Pidge, and Lance were still on their way. Telling by the way Commander Iverson stood up now shut off any chances of him waiting longer. “I know this isn’t all of them, but now that we have Allura, Coran, and Sam with us we can begin why I asked you all here. I have been presented with…” He went off, turning his back on the fresh batch of teens, and proceeded by pointing at pop-ups on projected screens with a black pointer.

 

The momentary hush was paused by a pull on the arm’s cuff. Thinking Keith walked over, Shiro slid his eyes over to check on his brother, delivering a “what is it” glare. The breath left his mouth as soon as his eyes focused on the man guiding his arm back down to his side. Shiro’s flesh on where it was touched felt prickled, turning a rosy color under the eyes of his brown-haired friend. Curtis panicked inside of himself and fumbled to stretch the fabric of his collar. “Weren’t there five paladins?” He showed a number of fingers, hinting at the missing staff needed to join the meeting.

 

At first, Shiro blinked once to douse any confusion, but shook his head and continued onward. His words fell in line with Iverson’s speech and the pulse pumping blood into his veins. Quickly he answered, “Yeah, only the Blue and Black Lions are here. The other three are late, probably causing mischiev when they should be attending adult matters. Kids…” He trailed off, obviously meaning light-hearted humor in the last sentence. For a heartthrob, Shiro thought he had butchered the details. Then a short yet child-like snort broke the apprehension, and ended with the boy squinting his eyes in a balled-up hand. Positivity infected Shiro’s senses, his eyes overcame emotions in one taking. Hearing a laugh that pure made the Captain’s day, and he looked up now to the board with a determined smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro is thirsting for Curtis.  
> I hope you liked their little introduction? I made sure to put in qualities only they could make each other uncomfortable with. Wait for the next chapter and find out our other loved characters interact!


	4. Day 1, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost at once Keith had stopped moving and stood on one of the square tiles, everyone at least gave them a parameter of three inches. James stiffened those broad shoulders and narrowed his sharpened eyebrows. Tension in the room tripled in energy; it was no lie they all felt a ripple of some unsaid word pass through them. Keith wore a grimace none had seen before. Perhaps he and James didn’t get along…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallejuah this fanfiction is SAVED bless. I've been meaning to upload for the longest time, I was pretty close ending the chapter, (not quite nailing it like I wanted) but it's out! Thanks for being patient. If you're still here, feel free to comment below. I need some kind of incentive for this story. Which does not mean I'll abandon it. I'm looking forward to working on this meanwhile writing the My Danganronpa! crossover with My Hero Academia and Danganronpa. Thanks sm! 💕  
> -xx

**7:47 A.M., Pacific Time, CA**

 

Baby Leo

Lance

BladeMaster-Baby Bro

Keith

BetterVelma

Pidge

Bunny

Allura/Coran

LA Chef

Hunk

Takashi69-{Takashi_Take_Me_Out}

Shiro

 

 

 

 

 

Lance P.O.V.

 

 

“Lance, for Nintendo’s sake, leave the bags!” Pidge spit out of their mouth, waving fisted arms up into the air at an accelled rate. Hunk stepped back, sizing the door and making sure nobody else was coming their way. “We should go in.” Hunk murmured just audible enough to bring Pidge’s intensity back to the obstacle in the way. The Cuban on the other hand, carrying his entire life in his palms, felt exasperated by Pidge’s non-stop barrage of insults. On the way here, Lance had the privilege of seeing the back of his friend’s heads walk at maximum speed two times as normal to Lance’s. He could tell they were filling in the lost minutes to explain the gibberish nature of science, Pidge’s and Hunk’s hand movements evident. In the caboose of the long triangle of friends, Lance struggled between bringing his bags and heaving the air in him to catch and turn where the experts zigzagged at each corner. It took a good ten minutes to figure out the pattern, and shortly after Pidge slowed her feet to a hault, Hunk carried his steps to a subtle stop. Lance couldn’t say the same, his actions literally spoke louder than needed to be the last one arrived. Thus, the problem of leaving or joining the suitcases in on the mission seemed to be all on Lance’s mind.

 

“Hah! For the past Stone Age it took to get here, I was carrying my life in these bags! Do you know how heavy it is to roll a twelve-pound gold soccer ball trophy stacked with three pairs of shoes?! No!” Lance exclaimed all at once, huffing an ounce. He folded his arms into a cross, and tipped his head to Hunk’s side.

 

“No one wants to steal your worn shoes from home!” Pidge shot back, their left leg wobbling at the level. “Leave the luggage by the door. It will be fine.” They insisted, feeling indifferent about the throwaway accessories. Hunk and them both knew it would take a while to part with objects, but at this rate they were making no headway!

 

Lance turned the other way now facing the guy. Hunk hummed. In the slightest he was not opposed nor thrilled about this dilemma. “Hey guys, I’d love to stand around the rest of the afternoon, but in the best interests of us I’d say we head in. Looks to me the rest of our team is in there already.”Hunk leaned in, and had Lance and Pidge look inside the cut window. Shadows of heads and shapes straightened their posture and Pidge turned their back on what lied behind them. Ready to turn the knob, they…

 

“That settles it. We’re going in, our excuse will have to be Lance’s bags.” Pidge and Hunk closed in around the doorway. All three sharpened to a click and their friend walked in, leaving the rest up to Hunk. Next followed a taller man, who was resting their hand on the handle in wake of Pidge. Towards the wall of the outer hallway there was a mess of words and jumbled thoughts going through Lance’s mind. He was crushed between leaving items within the casings or simply, as he quoted, “leaving it by the door”. He internally screamed, and his eyes perked violently. The gravity of the room was pulling him away from his beloved. Hopefully, just hopefully nobody would rob his babies. In good time he would be back. Hunk was still waiting, letting him quietly know they all had to go in together. With hovering hands, Lance parted from his two suitcases painfully and trudged to the door, Hunk just leaving it open wide enough to slide in.

 

Behind Hunk were heads facing forwards to the front of the bridge, no eyes were met from the front it seemed to greet the late crowd. Darkness, purple, and a tint of red lighted the overhead of their room that heightened their senses. Pidge moved to the right of them, stepping out of the way in time from tuning in someone’s shuffling foot. Hunk ducked his head under what appeared to be one of the tallest recruitments, so called Kinkade. In the back they stayed under the radar of Iverson’s ongoing speech. They were safe.

 

One of the biggest pilots bunched out. With his spare arm, and annoyingly bright teeth, a devilish smirk was shot at Lance, Hunk and Pidge. Underneath all that game there may be a hint of mutual dislike in the stare. Was he eyeing Lance personally like some sort of rival? Already he didn’t like him. “Perfect entrance.” He smiled the grin wearing on his face too soon.

 

Pidge brought their head back to whatever commotion enabled them to actually listen. Hunk didn’t leave his best friend’s side. “Um, who the heck are you?” Lance mouthed and stuck his hip out to impose an even larger message on his new friend, completely shunning the background noise out. Hunk, looking at Lance, couldn’t help but quiver a chortle there, and Pidge silently praised whatever Lance would say in return. It amazed the four of the pilots their higher-level Blue responded to their leader. Ina was listening intently.

 

“I saved your universe with my squad here from one of your giant furry friends, while you legends in space brought a bunch of aliens here. I’m James, Griffon.” He pronounced his last name as if he actually claimed all of the credit, expressing each word through a number of motions and hand signals, to which Lance wanted to smack them out of the way. The dark-skinned shooter in the back rubbed the back of his neck and to the looks of it smiled from embarrassment on behalf of his speaking friend.

 

Just as about Lance was going to move James out of his own egotisticalness, someone, a girl with square glasses and a neon green scrunchie, bopped James on the nose without any remorse. Below her James looked appalled. She squinted her eyes, and popped her head in between them. “Excuse the quarter-back, I’ll give you official introductions!” She smiled and went on. Onto her right, “This is our dick-of-the-week James, who thinks he’s our leader.” The one in the back was ready to hide from the inevitable. She smirked, “Back here we have Kinkade, who I think you know a little bit.” He looked up. “He’s super well-built, kind of shy, smart, and pretty much everything our co-leader needs to be. His first name is Ryan!” Lance and his friends could barely keep up, but they managed a little glance every now and then. She stood back in her spot. “I’m Nadia, the best one here, I’m specialized in kicking your ass!” She glinted, not even letting her voice calm down. There was one left. Nadia saved best for last. “Ahem,” she quieted. “And here, we have Miss. I went to Harvard and graduated top of the Senior Class, who loves solving math equations for fun in her head. Outloud too sometimes.” Ina turned to that, broadening her shoulders and keeping a keen but aloaf stare at the front. Her mouth stayed the same and showed little emotion. It seemed, out of everyone here someone was either totally introverted or athletic.

 

Pidge wanted to say something, but right as they did someone was moving their way towards them. All Hunk knew was that if that was Iverson they were dead. James looked up and Nadia hung low pinching her glasses. That was a habit Pidge and Nadia shared from the start. Out of the pit, a medium aura infiltrated the scene, hiding behind a pair of eyes. Raven-black locks approached the filling square that was the commotion of the standoff between Voltron and the MFE’s. They squeezed past Hunk briskly, pushing away the barrier crossing off the busy adults and minors. As Lance inspected more closely after the air cleared the identity sure enough belonged to none other than the brewing, black-mulleted-haired emo Keith. From his perspective, it was hard to tell where he was standing, Lance thought when their leader was lifting Hunk’s shoulder they made eye-contact, for whatever reason, resulting in an abrupt stare back to the front.

 

Either it was just Lance, or Keith has been overhearing their conversation from the control panel.

 

Almost at once Keith had stopped moving and stood on one of the square tiles, everyone at least gave them a parameter of three inches. James stiffened those broad shoulders and narrowed his sharpened eyebrows. Tension in the room tripled in energy; it was no lie they all felt a ripple of some unsaid word pass through them. Keith wore a grimace none had seen before. Perhaps he and James didn’t get along…?

 

With the threatening gaze of Griffon staring down at him, Keith looked on at the Paladins and minimized his greeting. Though somewhere in that face all three of them found a fondness soften his features. He cleared his throat. “It’s good to have you back team,” his tone changed for a heartbeat, “but we need to head to the front.” The awaited return of one of the five beckoned, holding his arms out to the opposite side of the room. Pidge and Hunk looked more confused than ever, but stepped forward and took the initiative, Pidge dipping her head out of the way. Before either could get too far, it was Pidge’s pervasive eyes that distracted Lance from the ongoing staring competition. Both Hunk’s and Pidge’s retinas trained a good eye on the back of their teammate, keeping a clear shot of him, Lance and the unknown hostile. One force of attraction gravitated him sideways, into the rows of crowded officials, while this clutching feeling now formed in a fist embedded him right there.

 

Almost immediately, their leader’s offender stepped forward and returned a signature sneer to pronounce a delayed insult. Keith held a flinch, but puffed out his chest, and leveled his chin. “I was beginning to wonder where the team leader went, he has a history of protecting the people he loves most last minute.” James finished off before scanning his shorter adversary. The overtone cut off Hunk and Pidge’s thoughts as the word reverberated in the room. Lance and Hunk gapped at the audacity at which one would speak so out of line from their colleague’s past. Something told Lance Keith felt pressured to act, but he saw the movement at which his thumb softened his knuckle’s hold. For the first time in a while he looked steady when under pressure.

 

All that escaped was a growl. “Griffin.” He said audibly enough to warn him off. The four of them were ready to leave, and in order their reunited leader would lead them off. Pidge turned around then, and Hunk muted the conversation. Keith looked somewhat eager to leave. In some ways his body language waltzed a victory dance. Upon that Griffin frowned, and he subconsciously ended his part of the argument, letting his arms fall back into place. Keith gave him one last prolonging look, and shunned the just occurring memory behind his comrades. In the moment, his wing-man, felt so swept up in pride he peeked at the other group’s leader for a mere second before he rushed to his leader’s side.

 

Behind the curtain of sillhouetes, and talking nonsense, Lance felt so stunned by the moment’s latest event! He grinned at Keith, one step away from tripping over Lance’s boots, who tracked every footstep that landed on the floor. In an attempt to mention it, he leaned forward, and jutted his elbow out a little softly. It didn’t work. Lance turned at that, physical touch was always a pet peeve of his. Looking more into it, Blue found, a darkness set under those violet-black eyes, and every time he thought he could tell something apart from nothing, he would think of those eyes and know walls reinforced with first-hand experience blocked any outside information from going in. Now Lance shook from his thoughts and desperately wanted to know what really just happened. What appeared next to him was a more fragile looking Keith, looking subjected to his own reflecting thoughts. He needed to ask him.

 

“Hey, Keith, w-what was that? What’s going on?!” He fully faced them, stopped in the middle of their path, voice a little louder than necessary. (There was also a tug on the arm.) It sounded better in his head. An expression of worry, confusion and uncertainty lit all over Lance’s face, Keith was met with. The second their heads turned, one was about to open their mouth to address what they heard, a burly voice intercepted them. Keith wiped around and faced up, his reflexes a millisecond ahead from Lance’s; the sound turning Keith at a ninety-degree angle.

 

“MCclain!” A familiar tone brought his eyes up to their former officer-in-charge Iverson. Originally, all three of his childhood friends hated him. Staring back into his eyes installed some kind of fear, the pairing of eyes shunned him from being late. Upon the scene Lance woke up from his daze in a series of rapid blinks. Closest to appear stood Shiro, wearing a mildly quizzical complex, and his arms outstretched mid-air. Not far from him crept in Pidge and Hunk, the two missing companions he forgot to examine while Keith remained by his side. They looked skimmed from the edge of Iverson’s tone. Barely in view, on the other side of his left, a prominent figure he’s seen before landed him staring at Allura pained to mimic a distressed hand signal, and brief eye contact, which ended in her quickly facing the front. Coran fastened one white glove on the top of her shoulder, continuing his intelligence puzzled on the documents before him. Amid his friends, the trusted Sam Holt of the science board stilled meters above him, with a serious brow going. He couldn’t help but freeze in the wake of an ongoing discussion. Negativity greeted him from all corners of the room.

 

Iverson stirred and hummed to the tall figure, tilting left a few inches, waiting further until everyone sufficed. “Now that we’re all here, where were we…” His fingers raised to the bottom of his chin, alligning its own mindset and cognitive thought. He searched for answers. “Ah.” His face lit up. “Right, your mission. But, before we detail any more information, there’s one last thing I need to mention.” They all stopped, and Shiro hushed to the full extent of his commander’s look. A hand outstretched and touched the shoulder of his closest comrade. “For the past years you’ve worked in the academy, inside the offices of the Galaxy Garrison, everyone has known you as a grade A example of a scholarly hero, and more recently the pronounced missing attendee of the forgotten Space Mission.” Everyone, including the crowd, knew what he was talking about in the last section. “But, in my time here, I’ve seen and now witnessed the truth and sense of leadership you demonstrate in your community and team outside and inside Earth’s atmosphere.” There was a play on his smile. From a couple of shoulders away, Pidge was racking her fists up in the air, giddy with delight. “From here on out, you are no longer known as just Shiro, but rather Captain Shirogane of the Atlas. You are no longer my subordinate.” He finished off wittingly.

A humble pride lit up on Shiro's face, a pink tone quickly turned embarrassment crept up into a shy neck rub. Shiro wasn't ready for that sort of initiation speech from anyone, let alone Iverson. Nearby a commotion from Pidge and Hunk up-roared, applause (and some courtesy tears from his dear best friend) filled the room. Somewhere, Lance lost sight of him a little while ago, Keith was standing in between the crowd smiling up at Shiro as a good younger brother. In return, to dismiss the loud ruckus from furthering, the man flailed his arms down a little, briefing a curt "Thank you,sir." to the taller administrator.

Stepping into the field, stood a lither man of proportion, staged closer to Shiro. He beckoned forward, lending a stare at Iverson. "Ahem," the scientist teetered, "not that I want to ruin this tender moment, but I insist we make haste on this matter, us already being behind schedule." Shifted someone of urgency, Lance soon identified the voice of the male; making it Pidge's Father Sam Holt of all the Holts, who brought the room back on task. All eyes watched Iverson's moves. "If you would allow me, Commander..." Sam's brows queried.

The bearded man complied, trusting Mr. Holt to begin speaking on his behalf. Two steps forward was all he needed to carry his first sentence. A hologram of planets and networks digitized a graph of the coordinates to those informed going on the space mission, in Alkara. "Here, we'll need two pilots on standby to deploy their first-respond dispatchers..." Lance not one minute later lost interest in caring and zoned out, thinking back to this morning and how he left without saying goodbye to his parents one last time. He made a note to call them later after the lecture was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm agonizing writing James, he's such a d*ck to all the other characters and my baby Keith. He won't be an inserted generic character I promise. Just wait until-  
> *Claps hands*  
> C h a p t e r 7


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